‘Whatever', ‘I don’t care’, ‘I’m a piece of sh—’: Jensen Huang's last hours at Nvidia were filled with despair | Report

Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang's last hours at the company before resigning as CEO were filled with despair as the executive looked “broken and shattered, his legendary energy depleted”, according to a Bloomberg report.

The report added that he looked to have his “legendary energy depleted” at the end, after weeks spent denying the allegations of infidelity and fighting to remain in his job.

Huang resigned unconditionally as CEO of Nvidia late on Wednesday night, the report said. His “usual take-charge demeanor had evaporated”, according to a person familiar with the situation said the news report.

Quick answers to key questions

•5 QUESTIONS

1

What were Jensen Huang's final hours at Nvidia like before he resigned?⌵

A Bloomberg report described Huang as looking “broken and shattered,” with his usual energy and take-charge demeanor depleted. People familiar with the situation said he had begun expressing indifference and criticizing himself.

2

Why did Jensen Huang resign as Nvidia CEO?⌵

The articles say the resignation followed revelations about two alleged extramarital relationships and a board investigation. The board met late Wednesday, after which Huang resigned and gave up his board seat.

3

Who became Nvidia's interim CEO after Jensen Huang resigned?⌵

Nvidia CFO Colette Kress became interim CEO. The board said it would search for a permanent successor.

4

How did Nvidia's board respond to the allegations involving Jensen Huang?⌵

After Huang admitted to an affair and pledged to cooperate, the board announced an investigation led by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Following further reporting, directors met remotely and Huang resigned.

5

Will Nvidia's operations and product roadmap continue after Jensen Huang's departure?⌵

Nvidia's board said operations and the product roadmap were expected to continue without interruption. The articles note that investors will watch whether the leadership change affects product development, customer relationships, or the company's AI strategy.

The source told the publication that by the end, Huang had started using phrases like “whatever” and “I don’t care”, and other people who’ve spoken with him in recent days said he has already taken a penitent turn, castigating himself as a “piece of sh--.”

For decades, Huang built Nvidia into a multitrillion-dollar AI chip behemoth and was famous for his attention to the tiniest details, from chip architecture to the compensation packages of even junior employees. Now, in the eyes of the people in the room, he has given up.

It was a stunningly quick fall for a billionaire and tech titan who two weeks ago was the face of artificial intelligence around the world. With his directness and vigour, he had charmed United States President Donald Trump, shaped global tech policy and drawn adoring crowds on his papal-style international tours.

It’s hard to imagine the current AI boom happening without Huang, his company and their chips, and it’s hard to imagine what it will look like after his fall, the report added.

As Harvey Jones, chair of the company’s board of directors, wrote in an email to employees, “Jensen’s contributions to Nvidia are profound. Nvidia is one of the most consequential technology companies in the world.”

Huang couldn’t be reached for comment, the report added.

When the news broke in late October that Huang had close ties with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy, it looked like he would prevail. The board of directors, dominated by longtime investors, business partners, and friends of Huang’s, was reluctant to act on the news stories or even to publicly comment on them.

Most of the news coverage tiptoed around the exact nature of the CEO’s relationship with Alice Huang, the suspected spy. Huang denied to friends and colleagues that he had been unfaithful to his wife. He’d been denying it when questioned internally since late 2025.

In one of his last interviews as CEO, Huang told Bloomberg News that his relationship with Alice was typical of those with Chinese customers and executives. “It was all completely normal and not unusual,” he said.

A turning point came on 6 November, when a Financial Times story cited US officials as saying that the relationship had been romantic.

Soon afterwards, Nvidia general counsel Tim Teter went to Huang’s house to confront him, and Huang confessed. At that point, most of the board still didn’t want to take a public stance, but Teter, the secretary of the board, told them they had to act. The board announced that they would investigate the allegations.

A prominent law firm, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, would lead the inquiry. On Sunday, Huang emailed the entire company, admitting to the affair, apologizing to his family and vowing to “cooperate fully” with the board’s investigation.

As the scandal ballooned, there was evidence that it was, perhaps unsurprisingly, drawing Huang’s attention away from his extensive duties at the company. As part of Nvidia’s idiosyncratic org chart, Huang had around 60 executives who reported to him, a small army by normal management standards. They had to send emails outlining their top five priorities, which Huang used to ensure everyone was working on what he considered most important. Normally, he responded to them immediately at all hours of the day and night. In recent days, the response times had grown longer.

On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Huang was also having an extramarital relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s Vice President of Healthcare. This time, the board acted quickly. Directors assembled remotely on Wednesday, and the meeting lasted late into the night. In the end, Huang was given no choice but to resign, leaving him with no formal role at the company he co-founded.

The next morning, the board announced Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress would step in as interim CEO.

She was quick to try to reassure rattled employees. “I believe deeply in this company and in its future,” Kress wrote in an email reviewed by Bloomberg. “More than anything, I believe in each of you, in our customers and partners and in the vital role we play every day in the global economy. The Board, staff and I recognize that this has been an extraordinarily difficult period and I want you to know how grateful we are for your resilience, professionalism and continued dedication. Thank you.”

She pledged to hold an all-hands meeting on 18 November. A day earlier, Nvidia is due to report results and disclose what Wall Street analysts predict will be a near doubling of quarterly sales growth.

Now, the board confronts the difficult challenge of finding a replacement for Huang.

Some executives considered likely to make the shortlist include Advanced Micro Devices Inc CEO Lisa Su and Arm Holdings Plc CEO Rene Haas. It’s hard to imagine anyone filling all his roles — technologist, executive, marketer, lobbyist, mascot — and the company never bothered to create a traditional succession plan. For better or worse, Nvidia will begin to look more like a regular company, managed in a more conventional way.

As for Huang himself, he won’t be able to retreat from public life, even if he wants to. In the coming weeks, he’s expected to testify before Congress, where politicians will ask him about his relationship with Alice and whether it might have put some of the secrets of Nvidia’s state-of-the-art chips at risk.

In recent days, Huang has said he doesn't care what happens to him at this point, according to those who’ve spoken with him. His main concern, he says, is his wife, and not “ruining the lives” of the multiple women now romantically linked to him in the public imagination.

(With inputs from Bloomberg)

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